Florence hires new football coach

Florence City School Board of Education members unanimously voted Wednesday to hire new head football coach Will Hester, during a board of education meeting.

Posted: Jan. 31, 2018 3:00 PM

Updated: Jan. 31, 2018 3:47 PM

Posted By: Breken Terry

Florence City School Board of Education members unanimously voted Wednesday to hire new head football coach Will Hester, during a board of education meeting.

Hester has been a coach for 19 years and has a Tennessee high school football championship under his belt along with numerous playoff appearances.

"We're going to get to work as soon as I get here full time," said Hester. "I've wanted to be a part of this for awhile now so I couldn't be more excited."

Feb. 12 will be will Hester's first official day. Florence's former head football coach JB Wallace resigned in December to pursue other opportunities according to the school system. Hester comes in with a master's degree and will be paid $105,000, which includes his teaching salary and coaching supplements. Hester said the draw of the Shoals made his decision easy.

"Every time you do any research on the city of Florence the overwhelming response is how strong the community is, and how they support everything whether its UNA, high school athletics or the music and arts scene in the area. Florence is a great town," said Hester.

The school board said they formed a search committee to find the perfect candidate for the job. More than 100 coaches across the U.S. applied for the position.